We have witnessed steady declines in NHL,  NBA, and college basketball attendance, the high prices of premium tickets in the new stadiums in Major League Baseball, and now, it looks like we are going to see college football attendance take a hit.

The recent downturn in this hard-hit economy is causing people to rethink what their priorities are, and realizing that tickets for sporting events are a luxury that will have to be sacrificed.  This is most likely what is happening at the University of Michigan.

Associate athletic director for ticketing Marty Bodnar said he’s expecting the economy to take a toll on renewals, which are “down a little bit, not a lot.” He said the typical 2-3% nonrenewal rate could settle more in the 5-6% range this year.

That is a pretty big drop-off for one of the biggest programs in the country. I think it would be foolish to think that one 3-9 season is the reason for people not renewing their season tickets. As we all heard during the Final Four, the state of Michigan has been one of the harder hit states. The jobless rate continues to rise as business’ reorganize or close up. Many people are taking precautionary measures with the uncertainty of the times. One of the first things to go are season tickets. It will be an interesting trend to follow as the 2009 season comes closer. Will larger schools have trouble selling their tickets before the season begins? How long until we start seeing this impact the NFL.  If this pattern continues, how will USC be able to afford their team?

Michigan is also in the middle of renovations on the stadium, which will increase the total number of seats available. Dwindling ticket demand is the last thing that the athletic departement and university want to hear.  Will the tickets sell? Most likely, but we are in very crucial times, so the chances of them not selling is greater than ever before.

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